The Best & Worst Cyber Security Specialisations (Tier List)

Summary

The video provides an insightful breakdown of various cyber security specializations, evaluating their work-life balance, salaries, job satisfaction, and accessibility for beginners. Roles like forensic investigator and security architect are praised for their impact and high salary potential, while positions such as cyber security engineer and instructor are criticized for offering less fulfillment or lower quality. The key takeaway is that beginners should focus on landing any cyber security role first and use that experience to specialize and advance their careers.

Takeaways

• 😀 Forensic investigators play a crucial role in both civilian and law enforcement cybersecurity, analyzing devices such as hard drives, mobile phones, and laptops to understand security incidents.
• 😀 Although forensic investigation roles are rewarding, they come with tight deadlines, high pressure, and long hours, making work-life balance difficult.
• 😀 Entry-level forensic investigation jobs exist but are typically accessed by starting in other areas like police work or a security operations center (SOC), and later specializing in forensics.
• 😀 Cybersecurity engineers build and work with tools like firewalls, proxies, and automation scripts. The role can involve network security or cloud security, among other specialties.
• 😀 The work-life balance for cybersecurity engineers is slightly better than entry-level roles but still demanding, especially if tools need to be built after hours.
• 😀 Entry-level cybersecurity engineer roles require technical knowledge, making it less beginner-friendly compared to other specialties.
• 😀 Cybersecurity architect roles are for highly experienced individuals and focus on long-term planning and system-wide cybersecurity solutions. This role offers high pay but no entry-level opportunities.
• 😀 Cybersecurity architects have excellent work-life balance, typically working 9-5, and their impact is felt across an organization's security posture.
• 😀 The cybersecurity instructor role is criticized for being one of the worst in the industry. Many instructors have never worked in cybersecurity and teach low-quality courses that lack real-world experience.
• 😀 The best way for beginners to enter cybersecurity is by applying to any role and gaining broad experience first. Specialization comes later once the foundational skills and experience are developed.
• 😀 Beginners should remain open to various cybersecurity roles, such as SOC analyst or GRC analyst, as they provide valuable skills that can be leveraged for future career growth in any specialization.

Q & A

What is the main challenge with entry-level jobs in cyber security?

Entry-level jobs in cyber security are difficult to find because many positions require significant prior experience. Most individuals begin as stock analysts or ethical hackers before moving into specialized roles such as security research.

What role does a forensic investigator play in cyber security?

A forensic investigator analyzes evidence from compromised devices, such as hard drives, mobile devices, or laptops, to understand what happened in an incident. This role can be part of a security operations center (SOC) or law enforcement agencies.

Why is the job of a forensic investigator considered high-pressure?

Forensic investigators often work under tight deadlines to provide critical evidence for ongoing investigations, making it a high-pressure role, especially in law enforcement or intelligence agencies.

What is the typical work-life balance for a forensic investigator?

The work-life balance for forensic investigators is not ideal, as they face tight timelines and high-pressure deliverables. However, the job is often pursued out of a passion to make a difference in the world.

What is the compensation like for forensic investigators?

While not the highest paying role in cyber security, forensic investigators still earn a decent salary, especially at senior levels, though money is typically not the primary motivation for entering this field.

How does one typically get started in forensic investigation?

To start in forensic investigation, individuals may begin as police officers and then transition to specialized roles such as the electronic crime unit. Alternatively, one can start as a stock analyst or in another area within cyber security and upskill to move into forensics.

What does a cyber security engineer do?

A cyber security engineer is responsible for building and managing security tools and systems, such as firewalls, proxies, and cloud security solutions. This role can also involve automating tasks within a security operations center (SOC) or other security teams.

What are the challenges of being a cyber security engineer?

Cyber security engineers often face dissatisfaction due to the nature of their tasks, which may lean more toward network or systems engineering rather than traditional cyber security activities. Additionally, some engineers feel that the work lacks excitement or direct impact on security issues.

What are the job prospects for entry-level cyber security engineers?

Entry-level cyber security engineering jobs are not beginner-friendly. They typically require a solid foundation in technical knowledge, such as network security or specific tools like Splunk. The path often involves gaining experience in a security operations center before transitioning into an engineering role.

Why is a cyber security architect's role considered high-paying?

Cyber security architects are highly compensated because they design security solutions and frameworks that impact the entire security posture of an organization. Their decisions require deep expertise and experience, making their role highly valued by businesses.

Why is it difficult to start as a cyber security architect?

It is difficult to start as a cyber security architect because the role requires years of experience in cyber security. Even individuals with extensive experience in IT cannot immediately transition into this position without the necessary security expertise and experience.

What makes the cyber security instructor role problematic?

Cyber security instructors who have never worked in the field and only teach based on theoretical knowledge are seen as providing low-quality courses. Their lack of real-world experience and understanding of cyber security issues makes their teachings ineffective.

What is the best advice for beginners entering cyber security?

For beginners, the best advice is to take any available job in cyber security, such as a sock analyst or GRC analyst, and learn as much as possible. Gaining broad experience early on will allow you to specialize in your desired area later in your career.